Let sober debate prevail in proposed closure of the Dadaab refugee camp

The debate of whether an estimated 250,000 refugees who call Dadaab Refugee Camp home should be repatriated back to their countries is back in the news, triggered by the announcement by the government that it intended to close the camp by August.

This is not the first time such an announcement has been made. Although pronouncements on the proposed closure were rescinded in the past, we believe this time, a sober debate should prevail, spearheaded by the government and the United Nations. This is because this it involves the lives of traumatised people who were uprooted from their homes by violence and hopelessness. Some have gone through indescribable torture and pain. Even as the government, the international community and civil societies argue about what should happen, it’s important for those making the weighty decisions to sit down and carefully consider the consequences. Hardline positions and rushed decision-making won’t suffice.

A society’s level of development is not measured by its technological advances but by its emotional intelligence and how it treats and protects the most vulnerable. It is against this background that we warn against populist decisions. It is not prudent to force refugees back just because there’s a perception that peace has returned to Somalia when there is no evidence that homes are safe from threats of terrorism. Although there may be problems arising from the location of the refugee camp as pressure on the environment, these should not be used as a reason to justify inhumane treatment of refugees.

However, we also believe criminal elements using the camp as a hideout must be dealt with, and blame placed where it belongs. As the international community and the Somali government work towards restoring peace and stability in the strife-torn country, the refugees, majority of whom have known no other home other than Daadab, should not be treated as mere statistics.

They should also not be used as a bargaining chip between countries embroiled in a tussle over territory. It is also the duty of the international community to ensure that refugees at Daadab and other camps across the world are humanely treated.

Granted, Kenya has to remain truthful to its international obligations under the United Nations.